According to the resolution, the program will be designated as a Specialty Court and is expected to begin operations Dec. 1.
The details
The Hays County DWI and Drug Court Program will be a specialized initiative within the County and District Courts. It is designed to reduce substance-related offenses by offering rehabilitation-focused alternatives to traditional sentencing.
The program targets nonviolent offenders with substance use disorders and provides a structured, accountability-based program for individuals with qualifying drug-or-alcohol-related offenses, according to the resolution.
The resolution references All Rise, a national organization focused on justice system innovation that addresses substance use and mental health at various points of intervention.
According to All Rise, treatment courts have proven that a combination of treatment and compassion can reduce crime and lead people with substance use or mental health disorders into lives of stability, health and recovery. All Rise states that treatment courts help to save $6,000 in tax dollars per participant in the courts.
Notable quote
“We provide accountability, structure, incentives for good behavior and personal support for offenders,” Hays County Paralegal Matthew Hammons, the DWI & Drug Court facilitator, said in a news release. “Change is possible and is worth striving for. It’s more than a court; it’s a combat for their lives.”
Hammons said in the news release that there were 260 or more eligible cases for this type of program last year in Hays County, and the need will only increase as the county grows.
